Tuesday, 11 October 2016

Songs of praise to God
who rules, is awesome, loves justice and fairness and will stand by us. We are
to come, be joyful, sing, be thankful, know we are loved and will be loved
forever.

Zechariah
7: 1 – 8: 8

A group
of high-profile people come from Bethel to inquire whether they should continue
the fasts and lamentations about the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem
now that all is being restored. Zechariah’s response is that the fasts and
lamentations were set up by the people and not by or for God. The destruction
came because the people ignored the prophets and ignored God. The commandments
are reiterated and they are reminded that past prophets told them this and the people
would not hear.

When
the Kingdom comes, God will dwell with us and it will be like a park where
elderly people sit watching children play in safety. Salvation is coming. God
is bringing salvation so the correct response of the people is obedience: to be
just, kind, merciful, non-oppressive and we are not to devise evil in our
hearts.

Matthew
13: 31 – 43

Jesus
says the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that grows into a bush or
like yeast mixed in flour to leaven bread. Both are tiny at the start – both
transform.

Jesus’
telling of parables fulfils the prophecies. Then Jesus explains the parable of
the weeds in the wheat field to the disciples.

Holy and magnificent God creator of
all, your Kingdom of salvation is with us transforming us. Open our hearts to
commit ourselves to loving you and loving each other so that we may be part of
your transformational process, sing your praises, play and rest in your park of
peace and shine with your light through Jesus Christ who died for us. Amen.

Wednesday 12
October 2016

Evening
Prayer

Psalm
103

A beautiful psalm of praise
blessing God with every part of our being and for every benefit we have been given
especially God's eternal love. This is a luscious reverent, adoring psalm.

Daniel
2: 17 – 35

Daniel
returns home to his friends and asks them to pray and seek God’s mercy and help
so that he can tell the King what dream he had and interpret it. In this way
their lives and the lives of the wise can be saved. Daniel sleeps and receives
a vision in the night. Daniel wakes and praises and blesses God. He goes to the
executioner and asks him not to kill anyone but to take him before the King.
The Kings asks can Daniel tell what he wants to know and Daniel says not he but
God reveals. He tells the King that he dreamt of a magnificent statue made of
different layers of material. A stone hits it, the statue crumbles and blows
away then the stone becomes a mountain that fills the whole earth.

1 Peter 1: 18 – 2: 3

Peter says we have been ransomed
from the futile ways we learned from our ancestors. The ransom was not gold but
the blood of Christ, his death and resurrection so that our faith and hope is
now set on God. As we have purified our souls by obedience to the truth and by
love of our neighbours we have been born anew.

All flesh is like grass – it
withers. God’s word endures and that word is the good news. Therefore we are to
rid ourselves of any insincerity, envy or malice and seek spiritual food from
God so that we grow into salvation.

Collect for Evening Prayer

The great pruning (summer)Harrietville Vic L Osburn

Holy Lord you are greater than all
rulers and powers. You have given us the gift of salvation and the promise of
your Kingdom through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Help us appreciate
that your salvation is not coming but is here! Help us seek you and your
spiritual food so that we may grow into salvation – that we can understand that
it is now and we have work to do in joy and praise through Jesus Christ our
Lord and with your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.